WORCESTER will unleash their high-profile new recruits Rico Gear and Sam Tuitupou on Montauban, Gran Parma and Bucuresti in next season's European Challenge Cup.

The draw for Europe's second-string tournament took place in Dublin yesterday and, following a host of exciting summer signings, Worcester should be confident of mounting a serious challenge against opponents from France, Italy and Romania.

Gear arrives at Sixways after New Zealand's World Cup challenge and will join familiar faces in Tuitupou, Samoan flanker Loki Crichton and New Zealand prop Greg Rawlinson, who have all been signed from the Super 14.

For the first time in three years, the Challenge Cup draw included a team from Spain after both Scottish and all four Welsh regions qualified for the Heineken Cup.

Spanish champions Cetransa El Salvador, based in Valladolid, drew Newcastle, who boast their own All Black signing in prop Carl Hayman, Irish seeds Connacht and 1997 European champions Brive.

Last year's beaten Challenge Cup finalists Bath were also seeded and drew Albi, Overmach Parma and Auch.

Sale, the 2002 and 2005 Challenge Cup winners, were pitched in with Bayonne, Italians Petrarca and Montpellier.

Newly-promoted Leeds face Castres, Calvisano and Dax, back in the tournament for the first time since 2001-02.

The final will be played on the weekend of May 23-25, 2008 at a venue to be determined nearer the time.

European Challenge Cup pools: Pool 1: Bath, Albi, Overmach Parma, Auch.

Pool 2: Montauban, Worcester, Gran Parma, Bucuresti.

Pool 3: Connacht, Brive, Newcastle, Cetransa El Salvador.

Pool 4: Bayonne, Sale, Petrarca, Montpellier.

Pool 5: Calvisano, Castres, Leeds, Dax.